Tag: Folk Lore

The Future of Ice Cream

Ice cream, America’s favorite treat, has been around for a very long time. It is believed that some form of ice cream dates back to 200 B.C. Folk lore has it that in the 1st Century, Roman Emperor Nero ordered his slaves to bring ice from the mountains to make his iced mixture with fruit topping. Since ice cream has evolved in one form or another for over more than 2000 years, what is in the future of the ice cream business?

An innovative product called “Dippin’ Dots” has already made pioneering advances in the freezing techniques of ice cream that may pave the way to a whole new ice cream of the future.

Curt Jones, a microbiologist and Founder and Chairman of Dippin’ Dots began using cryogenic encapsulation which uses extremely cold temperatures to freeze tiny beads of ice cream, yogurt and ice crystals. The quick deep freeze preserves the freshness of the flavor of the ice cream ingredients. The ingredients are fresh dairy products and fruity and exotic flavorings. Liquid nitrogen flash freezes the ingredients almost instantly. This cryogenic flash freezing process may put an end to the use of the huge ice cream hardening tunnels.

Another ice cream of the future may actually be semi-sold in form and will be kept in the refrigerator rather than the freezer. Since ice cream will be able to be kept in the refrigerator, then packaging will likely change.
Vending of frozen snacks and soft-serve premium and low-fat ice cream is a trend for the future. The vending machines will provide consumers healthy products in the workplace, public places and in schools. These pre-packaged single serving products are convenient and are already portioned for counting fat grams and calories.

It stands to reason that with the increased concern over the nations’ growing waistlines, the science of ice cream will constantly be involved in working to find a healthier ice cream that suits America’s palate, lasts longer, and costs less. Food science is constantly looking for fat substitutes that will replace the butterfat in ice cream. However, if there is no fat in ice cream, it couldn’t technically be called ice cream because there has to be a minimum of 10 percent fat in the ingredients.

Co-branding is a recent trend in ice cream that is expected to continue. Ice cream products are teamed up with other products like candy, chocolate, cookies, peanut butter, and coffee to make premium ice cream products. This has been a very popular marketing strategy that has brought attention to ice cream products and other products. The success of this partnering will entice manufacturers to continue this method into the future.
Ice cream has been around for over 2000 years and isn’t likely to go away very soon. With such longevity, perhaps it will be around for another 2000 years. It remains to be seen how the product will evolve over time. Will ice cream go full circle and go back to the original, healthier fat-free version of ice covered with fruit topping? But then it wouldn’t technically be ice cream.

History of Ice Cream

Ice cream has evolved throughout a history that goes back over 2000 years to around 200 B.C. Folk lore has it that in the 1st Century, Nero, the fifth and last Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (A.D. 37 – 68), ordered his slaves to go up in the mountains and bring back ice which was used to make an iced mixture with fruit.

Another form of ice cream was made by King Tang of China (A. D. 618-97). He combined ice and milk. From China ice cream was brought to Europe when, in the 1200’s Marco Polo had brought an ice cream sorbet recipe back with him to Europe from the Far East. The recipe called for the ingredients snow and milk.

Ice cream was later imported from Europe to the United States where it was served by Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to their guests. Historians say that George Washington really loved his ice cream and ate lots of it.

In New York City, in 1776, the first ice cream parlor was opened. The word ice cream was started by the American Colonists. They first called it “iced” cream and it was later shortened to “ice” cream.

When First Lady Dolly Madison was in the white house from 1809 to 1817, she served ice cream to guests.

The hand crank ice cream maker or freezer was invented in 1846 by Nancy Johnson. Today, ice cream is still made using the basic method of the hand-crank ice cream freezer. In 1848 a similar ice cream freezer, the Johnson Patent Ice-Cream Freezer was patented. By 1850 ice cream had become a popular treat. It wasn’t until 1851 that Jacob Fussell’s Baltimore Company began to manufacture and market ice cream commercially.

At some point in time someone figured out that using salt mixed with the ice would lower the temperature of the ingredients and that the wooden freezer bucket and paddles would open the way for the larger-scale manufacture of ice cream.

It was a long time before an ice cream mold and scooper was patented. The ice cream scoop was patented by Alfred Cralle in 1897.

The ice cream cone was invented in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904 when on July 23 Charles E. Minches thought of making a pastry cone and filled it with two ice cream scoops. The ice cream cone first appeared at the St. Louis World’s Fair later in the year where, historians believe, there were more than 50 ice cream cone vendors. Historians also believe that the ice cream cone had actually been invented by many people, all at around the same time.

In 1926 Clarence Vogt came up with a process of continuously freezing ice cream for the commercial manufacturing of ice cream. By the 1930’s ice cream had a huge increase in popularity and many flavors of ice cream and sherbets had become available. By the 20th Century many flavors of ice cream were being sold on a large scale in grocery stores, supermarkets and ice-cream franchises.

Ice cream has been around for over 2000 years and isn’t likely to go away very soon. With such longevity, perhaps it will be around for another 2000 years.

All About Ice Cream

Ice cream, America’s favorite treat, has been around for a very long time. It is believed that some form of ice cream dates back to 200 B.C. Folk lore has it that in the 1st Century, Roman Emperor Nero ordered his slaves to bring ice from the mountains to make his iced mixture with fruit topping.

Another form of ice cream was made by King Tang of China (A. D. 618-97). He combined ice and milk. From China ice cream was brought to Europe when, in the 1200’s Marco Polo had brought an ice cream sorbet recipe back with him to Europe from the Far East. The recipe called for the ingredients snow and milk. Ice cream was later imported from Europe to the United States where it was served by Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to their guests.

In New York City, in 1776, the first ice cream parlor was opened. The word ice cream was started by the American Colonists. They first called it “iced” cream and it was later shortened to “ice” cream. In 1777 Philip Lenzi, a confectioner, placed the first newspaper advertisement for ice cream in the New York Gazette.

When First Lady Dolly Madison was in the white house from 1809 to 1817, she served ice cream to guests. Ice cream was even served to immigrants as part of their meal when they arrived at Ellis Island.

The hand crank ice cream maker or freezer was invented in 1846 by Nancy Johnson. Today, ice cream is still made using the basic method of the hand-crank ice cream freezer. In 1848 a similar ice cream freezer, the Johnson Patent Ice-Cream Freezer was patented. By 1850 ice cream had become a popular treat. It wasn’t until 1851 that Jacob Fussell’s Baltimore Company began to manufacture and market ice cream commercially.

It isn’t clear who or when someone realized that mixing the cream in a small pewter pot inside of a larger pot filled with salt mixed with ice would lower the temperature of the ingredients. The wooden freezer bucket and paddles would open the way for the larger-scale manufacture of ice cream. Historians disagree on when the ice cream cone was invented. It has been said that the ice cream cone was invented in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904 when on July 23 Charles E. Minches thought of making a pastry cone and filled it with two ice cream scoops. The ice cream cone first appeared at the St. Louis World’s Fair later in the year where, historians believe, there were more than 50 ice cream cone vendors.

Historians also believe that before the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, metal and paper cones were being used. England was also already selling edible ice cream cones. Another theory is that prior to the 1904 World’s Fair, an ice cream vendor from New York City had grown tired of customers pilfering his serving dishes, so he invented an ice cream cone in 1896.

In 1926 Clarence Vogt came up with a process of continuously freezing ice cream for the commercial manufacturing of ice cream. By the 1930’s ice cream had a huge increase in popularity and many flavors of ice cream and sherbets had become available.

By the 20th Century many flavors of ice cream were being sold on a large scale in grocery stores, supermarkets and ice-cream franchises. With the many flavors of ice cream available in supermarkets and eateries, vanilla is still America’s favorite and chocolate is the second favorite flavor of ice cream.